Hello!! New to thus forum. Just rescued an old amazon (60yrs) and never had a big bird. Largest one was a Quaker parrot. George is pretty chilled and he seems to really want to get with me but I'm just scared he'll bite. He lives outside his cage most of the time and likes to follow me around. I spend a lot if time talking to him and he knows and calls me mama. I'm teaching him how to dance and he's catching on really fast. How do I put my hand by him???

Hi welcome to the forum Kudos for adopting such an old new friend.I would start by hand feeding him treats until you are comfortable to give him a scratch, until you are comfortable to offer him to hop on your shoulder, or step up. Sorry, I as I am not of much help, I wish you and George the best

Yes what Chantilly said, you need to be comfortable around him, and feeding him treats is a good start. Just remind yourself that the worst you could get is a bite and you wont get a finger chopped of or anything. Welcome to the Forum!!!!

The bites happen when you do not understand what is going on. It is a birds only way to stop you if he does not talk. It sounds to me that he is really trying to bond with you. The fact that he follows you means he really want to be with you.You know what a bit is and know it would only last a second. I don't think this bird will ever bite you. He is really trying to be with you. Have you tried "step up"? Do you know any of his history.Rambo was 15 when I got him and I knew a little of his history. He came without a cage and lived on the dining room table until his cage caught up. I knew nothing about big parrots and expected to just be a care giver but he but he taught us.An older parrot has been around for a while and knows quite a few things. If he had at least one loving human in his life he is trying to build the same bond with you. He just has to teach you who he is and what his personality is like. They have BIG personalities.

I really don't know how to best help you with your fear of getting bitten, me I just buck up and refuse to be intimidated by anyone or anything including my own self, but that is me and may not be the best approach for you, although I do not read anything that suggests that he is inclined towards biting you. If you know what foods this bird likes that you could use as treats it would help as you could cut them into strips that would allow you to keep your fingers back a little further. If you use a nut you place it between your thumb and fore finger and hold it so that his beak would close between them and onto the nut. If you turn your hand the other way he would have a hard time getting the nut without getting your fingers too. Of course if these ways are too much for you to begin with you could also try using a plastic jar lid or a small paper plate and put the treat in that and offer the treat that way.

Now practice on calming yourself when you are near your new friend as this is also new to him as well and he picks up on your emotions too. This means if you are scared he will also be more scared and much of this early time is both of you learning to trust each other. You may find that you have to remind yourself that he uses his beak in much the same way that you use your hand and that reaching for your hand with that beak does not mean that he is going to bite, he may simply be testing to make sure that your hand or arm is going to support him when he tries to step up onto it or he may use it to help balance himself when stepping up.

I really don't know if anything that I have said hre will help you but I hope so.

Well, giving him treats is always a good answer but, personally, with an amazon that old (does he have a closed band with the year he was born - because, old amazons are usually wild-caughts and nobody really knows their age) and taking into consideration that treats, to them, usually means high protein, I would make sure first that his liver is working well -which I doubt. Now, please don't misunderstand me, this is no reflection on you or even on the previous owners, it's that nobody knew to feed them right even 20 years ago so a bird that is 60 is bound to have eaten the wrong diet for a looooong time and that means high uric acid and fatty liver. I have a 50 year old and she looks like crap because her liver is so damaged that she doesn't even produce a good plumage any longer - she also requires treatment for the rest of her life.

So, unless he has had a super comprehensive physical exam in the last six months and everything came back normal, don't use high protein as treats, use the produce he likes the best (maybe grapes?)

I can't swim but if I saw a kid in distress I would have to try to get to it. I keep the state of mind that it is important and the bird needs my help. I have been Momma to many species over the years. The strangest bond was with a scorpion. My son brought him home then went out of state for a month to work. Scorpions are scary but she needed cleaned and fed. I was using the lid to block her into a corner while I worked in her tank until she just went in the corner on her own when I took the lid off. She knew she needed me. We progressed to her cuddling in the palm of my hand.

So, when my daughter came home she sat on the floor in her robe and put her hands forward on her knuckles and George went to her hands and she's been able to touch and scratch him. He even steps up for her when she puts her hand in cage. She's gone back to school and I've tried the same thing however he came up to me and my hands were on my lap but he bit my robe . I just stood up and walked away and as usual he just continues to follow me. When sitting by his cage he gives me the foot up signal but now I'm really scared to give him my hand. He accepted my daughter sitting in the floor but not me. I just love this little guy and I have no idea what he's been thru being 60 yrs old and stuff but man that beak is big and sharp. He put a mark on my knee thru the robe. Please advise me here anyone!